Predictors of Fatigue Among Patients on Hemodialysis: An Observational Study

Background Hemodialysis is a chronic replacement therapy recommended during end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Post-dialysis fatigue (PDF) is one of the symptoms patients experience after the treatment. This multifactorial condition is subjective and characterized by a lack of physical and emotional energy. It can be associated with other symptoms such as nausea, headache, muscle cramps, and hypotension. Currently, researchers have not been able to find defined etiologies and pathogenesis. This study aims to analyze the influence of PDF predictors within a sample of patients undergoing hemodialysis. Methodology A multicenter, observational study was conducted on a convenience sample of 250 CKD patients with ESRD on hemodialysis between February and July 2023. PDF was assessed using the Piper Fatigue Scale (PFS), administered in both paper and electronic formats. The data analysis was done using descriptive and inferential statistics and correlation tests. Results The analysis revealed that sleep disorders perceived (p = 0.0001; tau = 0.23), the presence of comorbidity (p = 0.003; tau = 0.18), the number of weekly sessions (p = 0.012; tau = 0.15), and the period of hemodialysis (p = 0.0069; tau = 0.15) had a positive correlation with the PFS score. The study highlighted that hemoglobin level (p = 0.017; tau =- 0.14) and sex (p = 0.012; tau = 0.15) affected the PDF perception. Patients who engaged in physical activities or used distraction techniques (p = 1.83e-05; tau = 0.26) to alleviate PDF reported lower average scores on the PFS (2.27 points) compared to those who did not engage in any such activities. Conclusions Hemodialysis appears to be a source of stress for most patients, as they showed a moderate-to-severe score on the PFS scale. PDF is a multifactorial problem that must be recognized and treated properly by nurses through pharmacological therapies, as well as by educating and providing alternative strategies, that can contribute to alleviating the effects of fatigue.